Normally, I give topics like Global Warming and Climate Change a good leaving alone. It’s a slippery slope that can quickly trigger an avalanche of supercilious lectures from the Reality-Based Community.

But in my reality I have eight feet of snow in my front yard and if the AccuWeather Boston forecast holds true, we’ll finish February with 26 of 28 days below normal temperatures, most of them well below normal.

So I’m a little cold right now and a little tired from shoveling. (I don’t own one of those carbon-spewing snow blowers.) And when I’m cold and tired, I’m cranky.

In general, Climate Change and Global Warming tend to poll very low in terms of issues that Americans are most concerned about. That’s especially true when icicles stretch the height of three story buildings and two-foot thick ice dams are causing water to gush into people’s dining rooms and kitchens.

After the town’s traffic consultant, John Kennedy, outlined his findings and recommendations with respect to the 130-unit Brightview Senior Living facility proposed on Crescent Street, Wakefield MA, Board of Appeals member Chip Tarbell had one question.

“Based on traffic and parking,” Tarbell asked, “if all of your comments and concerns are answered, would there be any reason you would recommend not building the project?”

This has been driving me crazy for years, so I was pleased when a member of the Board of Selectmen raised it at a recent meeting.

It relates to the intersection of Salem and Lowell streets (at the Prime Gas Station) as well as the intersection of Salem and New Salem streets. Both of these intersections have a fork-like configuration. West-bound vehicles at both intersections can either bear left or proceed straight. Vehicles waiting to proceed onto Salem Street have a stop sign.Continue reading ‘Mixed Signals’

The passing of another era has been marked with the removal of another landmark from Wakefield‘s downtown.

On Sunday, the giant projecting “Santoro’s” illuminated sign was removed from above what was one of the early submarine sandwich franchises in the Wakefield area.

Why didn’t the preservationists step in and protect this historic landmark? Were they not aware that George Washington’s tree surgeon once stopped there for a large Italian (hold the hot peppers) on his way to salvage a cherry tree?Continue reading ‘Sign of the Times’

The New Year is the time for lists: Lists of “Bests,” and “Worsts” for the year just gone by along with predictions for the coming year.

Among those of us who work with words, one of the popular year-end lists is Lake Superior State University‘s Annual List of Banished Words. It’s a compilation of “Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Misuse, Overuse and General Uselessness.”

This year’s entries include annoying words and expressions like “skill set,” “foodie” and “takeaway.” To me, the most irritating words are those that are used as pretentious ways to say something simple.

My favorite from this year’s list is “curate” as a fancy word for “select.” “Curating” used to be an activity that was confined mainly to museums. But now anything can be curated. This morning, for example, I curated my underwear and socks before jumping in the shower. And incidentally, have you ever actually “jumped” in shower?Continue reading ‘So…What?’

The newest storm brewing on the Wakefield Facebook discussion groups relates to the winter parking ban. The local ban prohibits overnight parking on the street from Dec. 1 to April 1 in order to facilitate snow plowing and ensure public safety.

The latest idea that social media pundits are convinced has never occurred to anyone at Town Hall is to do away with the winter-long parking ban and institute a ban that would only apply when there is an impending storm.

Oh, I’m sure that will work, given the astounding number of people who in this Information Age somehow manage to remain blissfully clueless when it comes to news of any kind, never mind news of incoming inclement weather.Continue reading ‘Winter Parking Woes’